It was indeed a proud moment for India’s Mohammad Arif Khan when he led the nation's contingent with the tricolor in hand in the opening ceremony of Beijing Winter Olympic Games 2022 on Friday. (More Sports News)
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and six-time Olympain Shiva Keshavan led the wishes for Arif Khan who held the Indian flag with pride after becoming the first and only player from the nation to win direct quota spots in two different events of the same Winter Olympics.
Arif will compete in the slalom and giant slalom events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, which kicked off on Saturday at Bird's Nest Stadium, the venue which had hosted the opening ceremony of the Summer Games in 2008.
While a total of five other members from India, including a coach, a technician and a team manager, accompanied Arif to the Games, the skier is the only Indian competing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
“From Kashmir to the Olympics! Really proud to see #ArifKhan, the only athlete representing India at #Beijing2022 carry the tricolor high!” said Bindra on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Keshavan tweeted: “Arif Khan carries the Flag for @WeAreTeamIndia at the @Beijing2022 Olympic Opening ceremony. He will compete in slalom & giant slalom, alpine skiing. Glad to see the team continuing the tradition of Himachali hats at the Winter Olympics!”
Earlier, Neeraj Chopra had also requested Indians to support Arif Khan.
Arif, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, has represented India four times in the World Championships. As his father owned a ski equipment shop, Arif didn't waste much time in picking up his passion and he started skiing at a mere age of four. Six years down the line, the kid started participating in competitive skiing and never looked back since then.
Arif earned the Winter Olympics quota for slalom event in November 2021 and in the next month he qualified for giant slalom. And this how, he achieved the distinction of being the first and only Indian to win direct quota spots in two different events of the same Winter Olympics.
" I feel very excited as my dreams have come true. To be the first winter Olympian from J&K, who will carry the Indian tri-colour on behalf of 1.4 billion people at an Olympics is a special feeling,” Arif Khan had said to Outlook on the eve of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.
